The New NightWing Kingdom
by PinkRose0106
Summary: (Cover by PuppyLuvr06. Sequel to When Peace Stays Dark.) It's been ten years, and Darkstalker has lived alone, using the name Discordance as an alias-of-sorts. The things he's done still haunt him, occasionally. Will the arrival of a RainWing named Azalea and a SkyWing-IceWing named Eider change anything? (Rated T to be on the safe side.)
1. Chapter 1

(NOTE: This takes place in an AU where When Peace Stays Dark is canon, and where Pyrrhia and Pantala don't know of each other's existence, thus changing the third arc a bit since, at the time I originally wrote this, The Poison Jungle just came out and I had yet to read it, and I don't know how the arc's going to end.)

~Darkstalker/Discordance

It's been ten years. Darkstalker had finished the school, palace, library, and courtyard in that time, with the help of a couple dozen volunteers. Most of them were from the Scorpion Den, looking for a place a little less violent to call home. Others were NightWings who wanted to live in their ancient and old home. One or two were RainWings that wanted the NightWings out of the rainforest. Now that Darkstalker had a small group of dragons, he was actually getting paid by Queen Glory to do it, so in turn he was able to pay his workers.

It was hard to tell if the years went by quickly or not. To most, Darkstalker looked like a tall eleven-year-old. He kept on waiting for the thousands of years he spent under the mountain to catch up on him, but so far the only sign was his above-average height.

Darkstalker was still living in the cave he had claimed home. If he lived any closer to the other houses, he feared he wouldn't be able to resist living in the castle, which might give away his identity as Discordance. To his workers, he was Discordance, the NightWing who was self-raised and needed lots of space for himself—that was why they never questioned him and his faraway living arrangements.

Darkstalker learned a lot in the past ten years. Most of it was gossip, really. One of the things he knew for certain, however, was that his workers actually worried for him. He didn't know them all personally, but wouldn't anyone be worried—genuine or not—to the dragon who paid them on a weekly basis in large amounts? Darkstalker never paid himself much because he didn't need it; he never left the NightWing peninsula.

"Sir?" A voice said.

Darkstalker was brought out of his reverie, reminding himself that he was in his cave. At the entrance stood a lanky SandWing who's scales matched the color of sand underneath him. Darkstalker couldn't remember his name. "Yes, what is it?" Darkstalker asked, hoping he didn't sound too rude.

"Two dragons have come to request jobs." The SandWing replied.

"Tell them both to wait by the palace; I'll be there soon."

The SandWing nodded and flew off.

…

Darkstalker flew to the palace, and smiled warmly before he even landed. The two new possible recruits were roughly the same age as him; one was a male SkyWing hybrid of sorts with cerise mainscales, gray horns, and dark blue wings; the other was a female RainWing with purple and gold scales speckled with red and blue and yellow. The two were having a civil conversation, which was a good thing—he couldn't let dragons who couldn't stand each other work together.

He landed, and both dragons looked at him. "Welcome to my project!" Darkstalker said. His tone was normally forced into being genuine, but he had a good feeling about thee two. "I'm Discordance, as you may know."

"I'm Eider." The SkyWing hybrid said. "I came from the Scorpion Den."

"My name's Azalea." The RainWing said.

Darkstalker smiled broader. "Let me show you around so you can see what's what. We've been working hard these past few years." He took off and the two newbies followed. "If you chose to stay, what you work on will depend on your skills. Additionally, you'll receive a handsome pay and free housing…once you've repaired a home."

Darkstalker swooped around the peninsula, giving details about the projects they were working on, private projects, and finished projects.

By the time they finished, the sun had set. Darkstalker flew down to his cave-home and landed inside. "Do you have any questions?" He asked.

"I think I'm good." Eider replied.

"Where will we be sleeping while we fix up our homes?" Azalea said.

"That's a valid question." Darkstalker said. He gestured to the large cave behind him with his wing. "You can stay here for as long as you'd like."

Azalea nodded, and carefully made her way towards the back of the cave. Eider warily followed, and Darkstalker went towards his normal sleeping spot.


	2. Chapter 2

~Azalea

It was nice to know that Discordance was more welcoming than the rumors implied. The next morning, he had offered meat and fruit for them for breakfast. He said that the other meals had to be fetched or caught by themselves.

Azalea didn't really know what she wanted to do. There were a lot of options. She could work on her house, meet everyone, make sure she was actually employed before she got ahead of herself… She decided that around noon she would just confirm her status as an employee and start working on her house.

Discordance was laying on the sand in front of his home. Azalea approached carefully—she didn't usually believe rumors, but it was hard not to bite when it involved your possible boss.

"Sir?" Azalea asked when she was in earshot.

Discordance stirred, brushing grains of sand off his sleek, black scales. "Just call me Discordance." He said.

"Alright." Azalea replied. She paused. "Am I actually employed or is there some sort of form, because—"

Discordance raised his talon. "You're hired because you stayed. Feel free to leave whenever you want. You can tell Eider that too—you two seemed to know each other."

"We're just acquaintances; we met on the way here." Azalea said. "But I will tell him, if I can find him."

"If you can't find him, I can tell him tonight." Discordance said, shrugging. "No big deal." He stared out at the sea, and Azalea tried to figure out if he was looking for someone or just contemplating. The few dragons who left the job site said that he was cold and distant, but so far he's been kind to her. She wasn't one of those fancy mind-readers though, so she couldn't tell.

She turned to leave, and she heard Discordance say something barely audible. She looked back at him, but he was still staring out at the sea. Azalea wondered how he got where he is now. If it was similar to how she got here, or if it was completely different. Then she remembered it was none of her business and went to find Eider.

…

Eider was, of course, taking a nap when Azalea found him. He was sluggish, it seemed, because he always acted like he had just woken up. Azalea found it a little amusing, actually.

The SkyWing hybrid stirred when she poked him.

"What?" He asked. He rolled over to his back. "Did something burn down or are you poking me just to be cruel?"

"I'm poking you to let you know that yes, we're hired and we can leave whenever we want." Azalea replied. "So neither."

"I totally wasn't worried about that." Eider said, obviously lying. One thing Azalea learned about the hybrid: he was a horrible liar.

"Sure you weren't." Azalea said. She sat down beside him. She had to hand it to him; he chose a good spot to nap. It had a view that overlooked the ocean. "What do you think of Discordance?"

"He's okay. Might be worth risking your well-being for." Eider replied. He scrunched up his snout. "He's not my type though. Too distant. Might be a good friend, though."

"That was just a casual question, not dating advice." Azalea remarked.

Eider shrugged. "You seem to like him."

Azalea looked away. "No. I—I couldn't. For lots of reasons." She was blushing. Why was she blushing? She didn't know the dragon she was talking to. She barely knew the dragon they were talking about. There was no reason for her to be blushing.

Eider just shrugged again, making the wise choice not to pry. Azalea stood up, muttering a goodbye to Eider, and left.

Azalea hated being reminded of love. She didn't want to love again, but when Eider mentioned it, he realized it. She couldn't say it though. It was too much.


	3. Chapter 3

~Eider

Eider sat there for another hour or so—well after midday and probably closer to sunset—before he decided to do something useful. He had never been without his sister for so long; he was worried for her, worried what would happen when he snapped at a dragon and ended up getting in a fight. Despite growing up in the Scorpion Den, the SkyWing-IceWing hybrid's talons were dull, and he was a terrible fighter.

First things first, Eider thought, claiming were you'll live, then assessing your new neighbor's strengths and weaknesses. He went over a mental checklist him and his sister had made. He already had a temporary home, but his instincts told him Discordance might be hiding something. He didn't want to stay—welcome or not—any longer than he had to. Discordance could be risking your neck for, but Eider trusted his instincts and thus decided it was better to be safe than sorry.

He started flying around the area, surveying the broken down and barely standing homes. They must be magically reinforced somehow; there's no way a structure can stay for thousands of years. Not when the rest of the peninsula had been cut down and downsized a bit. Sure, it was farther in, so the worst of it wouldn't get that close, but it made Eider suspicious.

Eider continued searching until he found a little home that was as broken down as the rest. Dried up, dead plants hung from falling-apart, carefully crafted planters. The hybrid swooped down and landed. It looked like no one was here.

The home had three rooms. One or two had a caved in wall, so originally there could've been five or six. Moth-eaten fabric was used for the curtains, which continued to amaze Eider. Maybe he should ask Discordance how in the moons this place is still in relatively good repair. He's seen brand-new houses in the Scorpion Den that looked shabbier than this.

Wood cracked beneath Eider's talons. He liked the way the house felt forbidden, ominous. It would keep other's away. After surveying the rooms, he went to pick up one of those scarves that the workers used to designate their to-be homes.

…

Eider went back to Discordance's home just after sunset. Azalea wasn't there; he thought he had passed her on his way to get a scarf, but he couldn't really tell since they were flying in opposite directions.

Eider didn't step far into the cave before Discordance spoke. "How was your first day?" The NightWing asked. Eider couldn't see him. It made the hybrid a little bit more alert.

"You have good napping spots," Eider replied. "I slept for the first half of the day. Looked for a house to fix up for the later half." He went a little deeper into the cave, and to his relief Discordance lit a small fire. It looked like he was cooking his own dinner. "Nice houses, by the way. How are they in such good repair?"

"I honestly don't know." Discordance said. "It has something to do with their porches only being out in the elements, I think. When the NightWings left it, there was only one animus who was living and recorded at the time. You probably know who he is."

Eider nodded. "My dad was an IceWing. He liked shouting stupid stuff like 'The Darkstalker is still out there' or 'I am not crazy, I saw him last month!' I don't really believe it though; no one else seems worried."

"Just because one dragon worries doesn't mean that it shouldn't be feared." Discordance warned. "That's how civilizations fall; everyone's too worried about their own motives that they forget about the important dragons, the dangerous dragons." He paused. "I want to rebuild my tribe from the ashes. I need to rebuilt my tribe from the ashes. We were so powerful back then. Now, we're living in the rainforest without a care in the world."

"I don't think I've ever heard a NightWing complain about the rainforest." Eider said, sitting down. "They complain about the queen, sure. But all of the NightWings—at least the ones I've met—love it there."

Discordance chuckled a little. "I'm no where near a normal NightWing, if you hadn't already guessed." There was a hidden meaning behind that, Eider knew, because of the way Discordance had said it. Eider didn't know what that would be, though.

Azalea came into the cave holding berries in one talon, and a horribly killed deer hanging from the other. She gave the deer to Eider, then sat down to eat her berries. Eider briefly wondered if he had offended her, somehow, by their conversation earlier. He would've apologized, but she looked like she was thinking of something else and wouldn't be able to hear. So Eider didn't bother, and just began to eat the dead deer in front of him.


	4. Chapter 4

(There's mentions to One Last Chance in this chapter.)

~Darkstalker/Discordance

They ate in silence for a little bit, all thinking of different things. Darkstalker was a bit glad he no longer had his mind reading powers—he felt like less of a creeper that way. He laughed a little; his father had argued that his name implied such things. Sure, he still hated Arctic, but he could look back on his childhood and laugh at it. Or mourn it, depending on his thoughts.

After a while, Eider spoke up. "So. How'd you guys get here?" He asked. "We might as well get to know each other, right?"

Darkstalker couldn't blame the hybrid for wanting to know more—he did say he was from the Scorpion Den—but his history wasn't for these dragons to know, and he never fully thought of what he would tell others if they asked for his past. That was the rumors' job, not his.

Thankfully, Eider continued. "To put it simply, I hatched in the Scorpion Den. I was raised by my sister, mostly; my parents were—and still are—alive, we just only ever saw them once or twice a year. I came to this project when my sister suggested I get some sort of job outside of our home. I suck at talon-to-talon combat."

"I was born and raised in the rainforest," Azalea said. "I fell in love when I was eight, I realized he was a cheater, I left…and he died shortly thereafter. I came here for a change of scenery."

Eider looked over at Darkstalker. "Discordance? What about you?" He prompted.

"It's complicated." Darkstalker said truthfully, maybe a bit too quickly. "Everyone here knows I raised myself. I can't really explain it, but I decided to start this project after an…eventful week." He didn't really want to lie—to them or to anyone—but that was all he could share without possibly getting put in an asylum or murdered, whichever one was preferred in this relatively peaceful time. Darkstalker was, however, more worried about what would happen to the peninsula if he was ever found out to be an ancient dragon with a history of IceWing murders.

Eider was about to talk when a SeaWing burst into the cave.

"Sir! I thought you would like to know that most workers have finished their houses." She said.

"Anything else?" Darkstalker asked.

"No, sir." The SeaWing replied. She bowed, turned, and flew off.

"You have a dragon who gives you updates on the project?" Eider asked.

"Just when houses are finished, or someone's hurt themselves." Darkstalker said. "I take it upon myself to congratulate the dragons who have finished their homes; I keep track of how much times a dragon gets hurt, and request their leave if it's too frequently."

"Okay, then." Eider said.

Silence followed. Bones cracked as they continued eating. Azalea was the first one done, and she went outside—probably to clean off before going to bed. Eider followed soon after, and then Darkstalker.

Darkstalker waited until the other two were comfy before he put out the fire. He laid down and closed his eyes.

…

It wasn't rare for Darkstalker to have a prophetic dream, even though he no longer had the ability to see into the future—it was stripped away by animus magic. But he realized he couldn't completely get rid of something he hatched with. The power was limited to short dreams that usually foretold the next day or so's events.

Darkstalker was outside, with Azalea and Eider on either side of him. They were talking, laughing, and briefly Darkstalker saw them being replaced by Clearsight and Fathom.

The dream brought another picture to mind, perhaps a memory or another dream entirely.

He was in a cave. The cave he calls home now.

Clearsight was lying on the ground. She looked like she was dying.

Fathom stood beside her, worried for both of his friends.

Indigo was guarding the entrance, obviously trying to pretend she wasn't paying attention.

Darkstalker looked at Fathom. He wasn't in control of his actions, but he could feel guilt and pain and horror and anger. "You're suggesting I just sit here and watch her die for something I did? That's exactly what moon-forsaken Vigilance wants!"

Clearsight spoke, but he couldn't hear it. He wanted to. He wanted to talk to her—not a ghost or in a dream, but actually her. But such a thing was impossible.

Darkstalker watched as Clearsight wilted before his eyes, her breathing slowing to a stop.

He looked up and down, and the world bended and folded, a sign he was waking up.

…

Darkstalker opened his eyes. It was still dark, still nighttime. Azalea and Eider were asleep, the latter snoring a little.

"Clearsight…" Darkstalker said, sitting up. He hadn't spoken her name out loud in years. "My love. Did you die peacefully? Did your dragonets treat you well? Maybe I'll meet their descendants one day." He tried to picture Clearsight, his long-lost and long-dead love. He couldn't. He could remember her worrying, her voice, her laugh, but not her form, not her scales, not her eyes. "Did I make the right choice?" He asked to the open air. "Or should I have wished myself dead? Or given up?" No one answered but crickets chirping.

His gaze briefly landed on Azalea. He wasn't imagining it; he denied it at first, but he could feel it. She wasn't a normal RainWing. He could feel the thing he thought he had lost when Clearsight left: love. He couldn't, though. Darkstalker knew he shouldn't get attached to anyone. He knew he should stay distant, cold, unfriendly.

Darkstalker thought of his dream. He could be friends with these dragons. Maybe more than that. But what would happen if he told them? He would always be hiding something. It wouldn't be right. He wasn't completely on terms with what he did thousands of years ago. No animus or once-animus could change that.


	5. Chapter 5

~Azalea

The night and the next morning passed in one big blur. Azalea ate breakfast, and claimed and began working on a home. Discordance was more distant today, she had noticed. She never got a chance to ask why, though—she ended up being so busy, she barely even noticed that dragons were departing to get lunch.

Azalea was in her house, cleaning up ancient, moth-eaten curtains and cobwebs, when a dragon politely knocked twice on the frame around where the door will go. When she turned around, she saw Eider.

"Hello, Eider." She said warmly. "Did you bring something?"

"Nope." Eider replied, flicking his tail and walking in. "I just wanted to see how far you've gotten. Looks nice so far."

"Thank you, but all I did was pick up old curtains and sweep up cobwebs." Azalea said. "I might need some help with actual repairs."

"I could probably help with that." Eider offered. "Me, Discordance, or any of the other dragons here." He paused. "Did you really come here without any building experience?"

"I came to make memories to replace my old ones," Azalea replied simply. "If all else failed, I figured that I could just be a maid of some sort. But thanks."

Eider walked further into the house. "Wow. There's seriously only two rooms in this house?"

"I could make more; they're both large. All the houses are the same size, I learned—the lower ones have bigger rooms while the higher ones have more rooms, but they're smaller. This was one of the few higher houses with only one or two rooms." Azalea said. She paused, then added, "I didn't want a bigger house because I figured I'd only ever live alone."

"That's honestly a little depressing." Eider replied. He sat down in one of the cleaner areas; Azalea sat down beside him. "Did you really get ditched, like you said last night?"

"I wasn't ditched, I was lied to." Azalea said quietly. She didn't want to have this conversation, to remember, but she couldn't find a way out of it without possibly killing a possibly great friendship. "In a way, it's worse. But I didn't lie last night. He's dead now. I'm not falling for the same trick twice. I'm not going to fall in love again." Discordance's face flashed in her head, following shortly by the news of her ex-lover's death. In a way, she wasn't just protecting herself—she was protecting him, too.

"I'm sorry." Eider said. He laid down on his back with his large wings spread out. "I've never been betrayed, believe it or not. My sister was always there. When times got rough, she just…listened. I've learned to do the same." He looked over at her. "If you ever need someone to talk to, about anything—advice, insults, rants, how some dragon ate your breakfast—I can listen. I might even be able to help." He heaved himself into a sitting position. "I'm here, if you need it." He finished it off with a warm smile, and Azalea smiled back.

"Thanks." Azalea said. She paused briefly. "Where's your house? I can visit you from time to time."

"It's not actually that far." Eider replied. "Just two rows up, and four houses from the castle. It has hideous dead plants in the front. Could you help with that? Like, get some plants from the rainforest or something?"

Azalea laughed lightly. "Sure. Do you want flowers or vegetables and fruit?" She asked.

"Whichever one will make it stand out more." Eider said.

"Forget-me-nots it is." Azalea declared, her voice holding a bit of mischievousness. A delightful end to a dreadful conversation.

Eider just shrugged. His smile had grown at her somewhat-sudden burst of joyfulness most associate with her tribe.

Azalea was about to suggest getting something to eat when a SandWing burst into the little home. He seemed to have flown all around the peninsula.

"Discordance…meeting…new project!" The SandWing blurted. "Everyone needs…to get to the castle. No one…wants to get…yelled at." It looked like he was ready to fall down in exhaustion.

"Are you alright?" Azalea asked.

"Not in the slightest!" The SandWing replied. "But we'll all be worse if we don't go to the meeting."

"Discordance isn't going to kill us just for being late." Eider said. "Even if the rumors are true."

"Whatever!" The SandWing said. "Just…get to the palace. I'm not going to risk my neck, though. And I'm not sticking it out for you two, either!" With that, he flew off.

Eider looked over at Azalea. "We should probably see what the new project is." He said. Azalea nodded, and the SkyWing hybrid took the lead.


	6. Chapter 6

~Darkstalker/Discordance

Darkstalker watched as his workers filled the courtyard in front of the revived palace. It was the only place big enough to hold meetings, even though he hated being so close to the place he almost lived in. Part of him feared losing his identity of Discordance if he entered; another part feared that memories of the grand balls of his dragonethood would stop him from ever leaving. He still wanted to be a king—more than ever, with no competition—but he understood Clearsight's old fears, her warnings. It was best for everyone, himself included, if he stayed away.

It didn't take long for everyone to come. Most of them looked worried or scared. Darkstalker had heard all the rumors surrounding Discordance, the dragon they believed he was. He didn't blame them; he had somewhat influenced the false statements.

As soon as they all arrived—the ones having been in the project for years in front, the newer ones like Eider and Azalea in the back—Darkstalker stepped forward and hoped he looked more controlled then he felt. All he wanted to do was run inside the castle and find a crown for his head.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome." Darkstalker began. A few dragons looked less concerned, while the others looked even more frightened. He could tell what they were thinking without the power to read their minds; He's never nice to anyone unless he's trying to trick them. It was honestly surprising how much dragons were still working in the project, with the way he built up Discordance's personality. "I was told last night that some—if not most—of you have finished your houses. Congratulations."

Nervous murmurs of agreement and thanks came from the small crowd.

"That leads me to the next group project." Darkstalker continued. "Look around you. What do you see?"

Dragons obeyed and looked around. A few began to answer.

"I see a pretty castle, school, courtyard, and library." One said.

"I see hundreds or thousands of broken down houses." Another added.

"I see dead grass and dying forests." A third maintained.

"I see a broken kingdom." Came Azalea's voice.

Darkstalker looked at the gathered dragons. "You are all correct. I've grown up here, and I can tell that this land has grown better. But it's not it's best. It once been greater. Much greater." He paused. "I believe that we should begin adding things that modernize it. The castle, school, courtyard, and library are all reminders of the past, built in their long-gone style from the time NightWings lived here. I think that we should add on to the beach, add a boardwalk of sorts. More houses. Build something new instead of reviving the old."

Several dragons nodded and murmured in approval. The ones who looked concerned or scared became relieved. Some were preparing to leave.

"Before we depart," Darkstalker said, "I would like to once again congratulate those who finished their houses. I understand I've been distant—most of you have only seen me once or twice over these past ten years. I plan on changing that. Starting tomorrow, I will be living among the rest of you and fixing up my own"—it took him more effort than needed not to say old—"home. It will be marked with one of the scarves, but it would instead be dark purple instead of the typical yellow or red. That way if you have any problems, you don't have to go too far. You can also reach out to me if you have any ideas for improvement. The rumors surrounding me are all false—at least most of them are. Don't hesitate to ask me anything." He bowed his head, the typical sign-off for the meetings.

Most of the dragons left, Eider and Azalea included. A few others went to Darkstalker for various reasons—ideas or suggestions, rumor confirmations, or where he'd be staying. After they all left, Darkstalker grabbed the small dark purple scarf that he had brought and went to see if either of his childhood homes were available.

…

Sadly, one of his old homes was already taken. Thankfully, though, the second was available.

Darkstalker stepped inside and recognized the small hallways instantly. The wood creaked underneath his talons, ready to give out. He stepped lightly.

Walking into his room, he recognized the place he saw Clearsight's ghostly form, how he could touch her but not feel her, her voice holding a different emotion every word or holding no emotion at all. Darkstalker sat down where his pillows and blankets made a makeshift bed and lounging area. It took all of his strength not to fall into the rising memory of when Clearsight was here. It felt like it should've been only days ago, not thousands of years.

But she's long dead. Nothing could change that.


	7. Chapter 7

~Eider

Discordance flew by everyone's homes congratulating them on their work so far, and making sure everyone knew where his home was. He also announced that the next week would be free of work—paid free time!—so all the materials could be gathered and ideas could be considered.

Eider sat at his makeshift table—a few stones and a plank of wood, really—writing a letter to his sister. He wanted to tell her he was employed and doing well, maybe request a visit sometime, and making sure she was okay.

Once he had finished scribbling everything down in his small, blocky writing, he checked to make sure it was presentable. It was less of a practice of beauty and more of a practice to improve his writing; he never got much chances to write a letter. Deciding it was good but not the best, Eider nodded to himself.

Walking to the doorway, letter in his talon, Eider prepared to either fly to the Scorpion Den himself or to find someone who would deliver it for him. However, a RainWing—soon decipherable as Azalea—landed in front of him on the porch, carrying blue flowers. Lots of them; they snaked around her frame, leaving only a few scales showing. Eider dimly remembered she had agreed to get the forget-me-nots today.

"Are those the flowers?" Eider asked.

"Yes," Azalea replied quietly. He wondered, briefly, if it pained her to go home when she left to forget about it, or if she was just calmed by the flowers around her. She began to slowly unravel the flowers, separating them in as much piles as there were pots of dead flowers, plus an extra pile that Eider assumed was for herself. "Make sure to water them. You might want to fix up the planters, too. I can help if you need it; I used to have a garden full of these. They're my favorite flower."

"They do look pretty." Eider agreed. "And thanks. Do you want anything?"

"Just thanks is good enough." Azalea said. "Possibly some help with my house would be fine too."

"Have you checked to see if Discordance could help?" Eider asked. "He's probably more experienced than I am."

Azalea stopped mid-tug at a particularly clingy flower. Eider feared he said the wrong thing; it felt worse when he didn't mean it. "I know you better than I know him." She said finally. "He'll be my second choice, the last resort."

"Okay, then." Eider replied, not completely convinced she had a different reason. He had grown up in the Scorpion Den—he can detect a lie easily enough.

"Who's the letter for?" Azalea asked, changing the subject. She did, however, seem genuinely curious.

"My big sis." Eider said simply. "Do you know anyone who can deliver if for me? I want to seem really busy." He paused. "And I feel like if I go back, I won't wanna come here again."

"Do you love her that much?" Azalea's question was quiet, perhaps a bit jealous.

"We grew up together. A few petty fights every week isn't enough to break that. It's hard to stay mad when you're looking at the dragon who's always been there, always understood." Eider replied.

Azalea just nodded absently, and continued untying the flowers. She silently cursed more than once, always shocking Eider a little; she didn't seem like one to curse.

Eventually the flowers became untangled and Azalea instructed Eider how to properly care for them until they have their own pots, and then she left, taking one small pile of forget-me-nots with her.

…

Eider didn't have to go far to find a dragon willing to go to the Scorpion Den and drop off his letter; apparently the RainWing was paid to fly across Pyrrhia for the workers in the project. Eider wondered who hired them, Discordance or Queen Glory.

After dropping off the letter, Eider went back home. But he didn't sleep. In his head, he was forming a plan of sorts. He could tell, now, that Discordance could be a good friend. Azalea already was one. So why not try to form a trio of sorts? He'd have to start out subtle, but he could deal with it. At the very least, he'd learned more about them.


	8. Chapter 8

~Darkstalker/Discordance

It was obvious that Eider was going out of his way to find reasons for him, Darkstalker, and Azalea to hang out. Apparently subtlety wasn't the hybrids specialty. Despite this, Darkstalker couldn't find any excuses; now that he lived in a house like a normal dragon, privacy was no longer an option. And Darkstalker had tried another route—hinting towards the fact that he didn't want friends, that he could harm them—but failed. Either Eider didn't care or couldn't hear.

Darkstalker now stood a way's away from Azalea and Eider. The SkyWing hybrid had suggested cleaning up the schoolhouse. Darkstalker had said he had work to do—which was somewhat true, at least—but Eider had argued that this was work. Honestly, Darkstalker had also been avoiding the school. It was the place he had met Clearsight, the few precious moments they shared when he was still redeemable and somewhat naïve. He didn't want to get reminded of the wrong thing, not with other dragons watching.

Eider was talking to Azalea about how to decorate it, often asking Darkstalker on his opinions. They were now trying to figure out what to do next. Darkstalker noticed that Azalea looked just as tired as he felt.

"Do you guys wanna continue or grab some lunch?" Eider asked.

"I'm a bit hungry," Azalea replied. "And we've made good progress; there wasn't much to clean up to begin with."

"Discordance?" Eider prompted.

"I'm fine with whatever. I have more work that needs to be done." Darkstalker said. He waved a talon at them. "You go on and eat and I'll just head back to my house."

He prepared to leave when Eider's voice caught him off guard. "If you're trying to avoid us, you're doing a cruddy job."

Azalea hissed something that Darkstalker could hear.

"Why do you think I'm avoiding you?" Darkstalker asked.

"Because you just asked that question." Eider retorted. "Come on, Discordance—can't you at least give a good reason why?"

"You should know this by now," Darkstalker replied without looking back at the hybrid. "I'm your boss and superior, and that's not how you'd talk to someone with my status."

"What status?" Eider asked. "I didn't think being a project leader granted you high-and-mighty powers or anything." He seemed genuinely curious, whatever hostility that was in his voice had left.

Darkstslker cursed but didn't bother hiding it. He had forgotten, for a moment, that he was Discordance, the NightWing who raised himself. Not Darkstalker, the NightWing-IceWing hybrid that murdered countless dragons and harmed those around him. He paused, then decided to say a small bit of the truth; "If I get too close, you might get hurt. That's all I can say."

And before either of them could protest or question him, Darkstalker flew off.

…

Darkstalker was in his home, trying to figure out how much he wanted to keep the same. He figured he'd stay in his old room, fix up Whiteout's to be a normal bedroom, and make his parents' old room a study or work room of sorts. He could figure out what to do with the other empty rooms later.

He decided to start laying down a sort of marking tape, to make sure he placed the walls back where they were supposed to be. After that, he did what he always did when it came to demolition projects; he took whatever anger he had out on the walls, clawing and lashing and tearing. It felt right, but it also felt wrong. This had been his home, once. But rather than slow down, by the time he got to his parents' room, he tore it down faster, thinking of Arctic, his hated father and disregarded prince. Then his mind flashed to Foeslayer, and he stopped with his talon digging into the wall painfully, mid-blow.

She didn't even know what had happened. She had a new son now, the son that was supposed to be him. Darkstalker finished tearing out that section of wall. He was supposed to be that little dragonet that his mother now cared for. Would it have been better, if he had agreed to become that dragonet, what would've changed?

Darkstalker sat down. Nothing. He would still be miserable, just in a different way—he wouldn't know who he is, what he had done. He would've been a completely new dragon, but with no choice to be that dragon or not. It was better to be a new dragon with a choice and the knowledge of your past deeds.

That way you never forgot what harm you caused.


	9. Chapter 9

~Azalea

As soon as Discordance left, Azalea was standing in front of Eider. He looked young, like an eight-year-old, but he was still taller than her despite her older age (since she was eleven and he was ten).

"Eider!" Azalea hissed. "What did you do that for? You're the one who wanted to befriend Discordance!"

"Sorry," Eider said. His tone of voice hinted that he wasn't; Azalea knew better than most that the hybrid had a little bit of an anger issue. "But it's true. He's avoiding us, and I want to find out why."

"But he's our boss." Azalea argued. "He can keep secrets. Don't you want to get paid? Please your sister?"

"Knowing who you're working under is important." Eider said. "I need to protect my friends, even if that's just you at the moment. I've never lost anyone, but I know plenty of dragons who have. I don't want to lose the few dragons that can put up with me."

"But Discordance has been doing this for years." Azalea maintained. "If he's up to something, he should've done it by now. If he meant us harm, why would he have not touched us yet? I understand your reasoning, but not your actions. He's not a criminal. He's not a murderer."

Eider looked away from her, and she decided to stop glaring as much. "Maybe so," Eider began. Azalea resisted groaning; why was he so persistent? "But don't you want to at least know what he meant by 'If I get too close, you might get hurt?'"

"I…guess." Azalea replied. She backed up a little so she wasn't standing right in front of him. "It's none of our business though."

"If there's something wrong, you should always figure out what it is. If it's anything bad, report it to the respective queen." Eider said. It sounded like he was reciting something; Azalea guess it was something his sister taught him.

"How do you suppose we do that, if he's 'avoiding' us?" Azalea asked.

Eider looked at her again. "We don't. You do."

"What do you mean?" Azalea said.

"I'm pretty confident Discordance is less likely to lash out at you than he is at me." Eider explained.

"Pretty confident?" Azalea echoed, getting a bit annoyed again.

"He at least won't say 'Screw you die in a hole.'" Eider replied.

"When did he say that?" Azalea asked.

Eider shrugged. Avoiding her questions, he said, "Will you try it, though?"

"I guess." Azalea sighed. "I might as well try."

"That's good to hear." Eider said. He flicked his tail. "I can to something in return, if you'd like."

Azalea knew enough about the hybrid that when he started bargaining, even unintentionally, he didn't think it would be easy. She sighed again. "Just help me with my house if I need it."

Eider nodded, and waving goodbye, he left. Azalea got into the air to leave as well, and then she realized she didn't know where Discordance was. He could be back in his house, or he could be in his old cave-home, or he could be…anywhere, really. It was often underestimated how fast dragons could fly when they wanted to.

She decided to check his house first, so she flew around until she found it.

Azalea landed on the porch, but stood by the door a little bit. Discordance was staring at the destroyed walls, similar to how he looked when she asked if she was truly employed.

Discordance turned around, looked at her for a second, then gestured for her to come in. She did so, sitting a few feet away from him, within earshot but far enough away from the torn-down walls.

"You came to apologize?" Discordance guessed. "Or did you come for an explanation?"

"Both, actually." Azalea replied. "I'm sorry Eider snapped at you; he's just trying to protect everyone. And I'd like an explanation, if only a small one, for what you said."

"Apology accepted." Discordance said. "And what I said was true—I can't tell you anything else. It'll harm everyone if I say anything. I know it's harmful now. But it could get worse. I have a past that no one needs to know, one that no one should know. Curiosity kills."

Azalea wondered what he meant. Everyone knew a basic outline of Discordance's backstory; orphaned and self-raised, decided to start this project when he was still only one or two. But she knew better than to pry, so she nodded and left.


	10. Chapter 10

~Eider

"That still doesn't explain anything!" Eider exclaimed. Him and Azalea were inside his house, the latter having just finished summing up her conversation with Discordance. "Plenty of dragons have unpleasant pasts, especially the ones twice our age who lived during the war. If he doesn't tell anyone, he's either going to go insane or he'll tell it to someone who won't act nicely about it."

"Don't you think you're being a bit selfish?" Azalea asked. "Discordance is allowed privacy. There's no reason to force the truth out of him. You could probably get in trouble for it."

"I'm not being selfish if I'm trying to protect my friends and, admittedly, Discordance." Eider protested. "I'm trying to help, believe it or not."

"Could you try to help a little less…aggressively?" Azalea said. "You're practically screaming. And if you want more information, try to talk to him yourself. You can't say I didn't try." She waved goodbye and left.

Eider just stood there for a second, dumbly, then whacked his forehead with the base of his talon. He was an idiot. No wonder all the girls—or guys, for that matter—hated him; he kept on scaring off his friends, not to mention the acquaintances and strangers. It was a miracle his sister still loved him.

He continued to stand there for a bit. He had three options; meet dragons, take a nap (it was only a little after midday, after all), or talk to Discordance. Well, four options; he could also try to find Azalea and apologize. Eider wanted to just go to sleep, since it was something he had been too busy to do lately. Eider knew, however, that he needed to at least apologize to Azalea. But he also knew he sucked at apologies.

Eider went over to his makeshift table. A written apology was the coward's way out, but it was a way out. In a letter, you could be as insincere as you want—as long as you pretend you're honest. While, in a normal conversation, a good lie-detector could snuff out your insincerity in a heartbeat.

The hybrid sat down, brought out paper, and began to write.

…

The letter was shorter than it should've been, simply being "sorry." Eider could never really put his thoughts to words when it came to apologies, because more often then not, he never apologized. If he offended his sister, it wasn't needed—she forgave him the second he insulted her. And to anyone else, well…to them an apology was probably an insult in another form.

Eider walked out of his house, and decided to fly over to Azalea's. He would talk to Discordance later.

The house was empty, so Azalea must not have returned home after delivering her report to Eider. He couldn't blame her; if his friend had just been an idiot, he would've gotten as far away as he could, too. He sat the letter inside the house, by the doorway, where the main typically went. After he knew it was in place, he left.

Eider flew towards the ledge where he spent most of his first day on the job, sleeping. It had a nice view, overlooking almost everything. Some dragons would be afraid of the fall; it had to be high up to hold so much houses. Eider was more afraid of the way everything was silent and still up here, like it was so peaceful no creature wanted to stir—or something deadly was going to happen, and all the creatures fell silent to watch.

Despite this, he was still able to relax. It was odd, really—one second he could be on edge and then he was completely fine again the next. Usually this happened when he was too tired to care. Eider was, in fact, very tired, despite it getting late enough for dinner since it took hours to write the letter.

Eider wondered briefly about his sister. Murre. She was the one that looked more IceWing; sure, she still looked like a SkyWing from a distance, with her vermillion red scales and dark red underbelly, but her wings were white. Eider's were dark blue—he was often mistaken for a SeaWing hybrid because of this. Just by their names alone, the twin siblings were assumed to be part SeaWing. But they were Sky-Ice hybrids. Nothing could change that; and Eider didn't want that to be changed. He was fine with who he was, where he lived, what he did. The past had never been a problem for him.

With these thoughts in mind, Eider slipped into a dreamless nap.


	11. Chapter 11

~Darkstalker/Discordance

He was pacing, somewhat annoyed and somewhat guilty. He was trying to think. How many times has he kept secrets, thinking it was best, when in the end, all he did was harm everyone? He never told anyone of almost everything he did; moons, he had even tried to hide it from Clearsight! She was probably the only dragon he had told everything to, and even then he kept one of his biggest secrets—his hate and revenge on the IceWings, his father, Diamond—from her. No wonder she betrayed him in the end. Dragons do odd things when they think it's best.

Darkstalker kept pacing, to keep himself from grieving over his friends. It was always a silent, small problem; but it's gotten worse. He felt like history was repeating itself. Over and over, time and time again, doesn't it always end up the same? He messed up, hides it from his friends—or his could-be friends, in this case—messes up again, and the world pays for it thousands of years later. This was stupid, all of it. He couldn't keep it hidden forever, not when they were so eager to learn what was going on.

Being cold and distant could only work for so long. Darkstalker knew that, just like his scroll, his secret would be found out and exposed. Was he going to let it happen by itself, or confess?

He glanced at the door. Or lack thereof. Anyone could hear him; he didn't want to tell everyone. Just Eider and Azalea, if possible. He knew this place better than he did when he was a dragonet. What was the best place to talk in private?

Of course. Darkstalker hated the idea, but it was the only place where no one could overhear him, the only place no one dared go near because of rumors of ghosts and such.

The palace. The infamous, ancient, perfectly rebuilt palace. The building Darkstalker feared the most, but also the one he was most proud of.

Darkstalker, seeing no other doable option, walked outside to the porch and called over a passing dragon. He briefly instructed them to tell Eider and Azalea to come to the palace, and meet him in the throne room. The poor dragon—a RainWing with patterned wings, whom looked absolutely terrified—nodded and went to find them. Darkstalker took off in the direction of the palace.

…

It was around dusk, the sun having just set and stars coming out. Back when Darkstalker was a dragonet, little dragons would be in school learning, adults would be working, and everyone would be going about their day.

Perhaps it was just the lighting, the nostalgic feel of the palace, or Darkstalker himself, but the NightWing could almost imagine everyone bustling around preparing for a grand event, or the teachers telling their students or Clearsight's friend eagerly whispering about how the scavengers 'escaped' the school. Once or twice, while wandering the halls, Darkstalker almost expected to see Fathom or Vigilance, until he remembered both were dead. They have been; the thought brought a bit of sadness for Fathom, and a twinge of dark delight for Vigilance.

Darkstalker, after a bit of stalling, made his way to the throne room. He had never gone this far—if he had he couldn't remember. Because of this, it was more of how he imagined it, how it looked in his twisted futures of him being king. It hurt more to be on this side of the palace; everywhere else made him feel lost in a dream or a time he couldn't understand.

Neither Azalea or Eider were here yet, despite him having called for them hours ago. The only thing he could do was wait. He couldn't force them; at the very least, he tried. He sat down in the middle of the room, determined not to look at the throne. Don't look at it, he warned himself. Don't look at it or you'll lose yourself.

When Darkstalker was almost ready to give up and sleep, a short frame came out of the entrance. He recognized that the form belonged to Azalea; Eider wasn't far behind, clearly ready to defend or flee.

Darkstalker realized they probably couldn't see—only NightWings and SeaWings could see well in the dark—so he looked around. Seeing a twig sticking out by a tree that surrounded one side of the palace, he got up, snapped it off, sat it in the middle of the room, on the stone floor, and set it ablaze. Azalea and Eider squinted for a moment before they looked at each other, nodded, and sat a fair distance away from Darkstalker. He couldn't blame them.

"I have a few things I'd like to share…before it harms someone." Darkstalker said.


	12. Chapter 12

(Brief mentions to One Last Chance and When Peace Stays Dark, and a short summary of the entirety of Legends: Darkstalker. I apologize for any misinformation.)

~Darkstalker/Discordance

Eider looked at him and flicked his tail while Azalea looked slightly worried. Darkstalker guessed that they probably went over everything he could want to talk to them about; although they couldn't have guessed the truth.

"Go on," Eider said. "We're listening."

Darkstalker hesitated. He might still be able to change this… No, he had to do it. He had to tell someone, or it'll go horribly wrong. Maybe it'll go horribly wrong anyway, but it's better to have two enemies than two dead friends.

He took a deep breath. "Have either of you heard of Darkstalker?" He asked, slowly.

"My father sometimes yells about him." Eider said. "I told you that one of our first days here."

"I've only heard of him in stories. Whispers, really." Azalea added. She seemed a bit nervous; Darkstalker didn't blame her. "A NightWing who tried to become king…most of the NightWings don't like him, but some worship him. The RainWings have mixed feelings about him as well."

Darkstalker looked away from them before he realized that, by doing that, he was just getting more suspicious. Eider already looked like he half-guessed it; Azalea looked close to the same, but slightly more horrified. Darkstalker looked at them both, briefly, then returned his gaze to the ceiling. "I'm not Discordance. I'm not a ten-year-old. I'm not…I'm not someone you should trust." He went over to the throne, letting himself ease into it. When he turned to his could've-been friends, they both looked horrified.

He continued as rain started to fall, dripping rhythmically on the roof. "I…I am Darkstalker. Son of Prince Arctic and Foeslayer, brother to Whiteout. A self-proclaimed King, I almost destroyed my tribe, my love, and my friend. I am—was—an animus, mind reader, seer; I was an IceWing's worst nightmare as daggers killed them one by one. I was the one who sent the plague against IceWings, something that you two have only heard in stories." He paused. "I am, perhaps, the worst dragon who ever lived…in another world, another life, I killed my love. I took away my powers, all of them, but I'm still dangerous."

"Sweet moons…" Eider muttered. He had already stood up and was half-defending Azalea. "Please tell me you're lying. You—that's impossible! No one can live thousands of years and look like they're ten!"

"How much do you know of my life?" Darkstalker asked.

"Next to nothing." Eider spat. He was faking the anger—Darkstalker could tell the hybrid was covering something up, pity or pain or regret or betrayal.

Let him feel it, Darkstalker's mind whispered. You're on a throne and you're king; you've lived for thousands of years. You know what you're doing. It's a shame you got rid of your powers so soon.

Darkstalker shook his head to clear it. He slowly got out of the throne, a little sorry to get up. "I grew up here. I lived here. I knew who my love was before I even met her—Clearsight. Eventually my father found out I was an animus after the SeaWings had a massacre. Queen Pearl—you might've heard of her—sent Fathom to help me not use my powers. We were friends. Everything was all fine and well; at some point my father Arctic let Mother leave, and she got trapped as Diamond's plaything. It had been perfect. Me, Clearsight, Fathom—a trio that seemed to be invincible and unbreakable. Sure, Arctic decided to murder me a couple times, but it's nothing a little invincibility enchantment can't fix.

"At some point, things started going horribly. I did something stupid. I"—he paused briefly to laugh at his idiocy, looking back at it—"tried to kill the queen, Vigilance. Clearsight and Fathom were one step ahead of me, though, trapping me underneath a mountain. I slept there for a couple thousand years, until the Jade Winglet woke me up." He looked at Eider and Azalea. "I take it you know the rest."

"Darkstalker—you—tried to wipe out the IceWings, becoming slightly murderous." Azalea said quietly. "After a little bit, the Jade Winglet stopped you, and you disappeared." She looked at him for the first time since he started talking. "This is where you disappeared to? To rebuild a Kingdom so you could rule over it?"

"They tried to make me disappear." Darkstalker corrected her. "They failed, thanks to a SeaWing animus. For my last enchantment, I removed my powers and made it so then everyone remembered what was supposed to have happened. Then I came here, wanting to spend my days rebuilding my home so the NightWings could live here again." He paused. "You probably wouldn't believe me, but I've changed, a little bit. I'm sorry I had to tell you this, and to request this of you, but…you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"What if we do?" Eider asked.

"Then I'll have to accept whatever fate the public decides is best." Darkstalker replied. "To die or to be exiled. I can't bring myself to harm the dragons who kept me company for this long."

Eider seemed to debate the terms. He looked at Azalea, who was now mostly shielded behind his wing. She nodded briefly, and he looked back at Azalea. "I won't tell anyone if you won't hurt anyone."

"I'll try my best," Darkstalker promised. He turned to the little balcony that provided easy access to the outside, and Eider took that as a sign to leave. He gently shepherded her out of the room and—presumably—out of the castle, whispering something.

Darkstalker stood there for a little bit before deciding that he didn't want to go home. He wandered the halls until he knew it was getting late. Only then did he start going home.


	13. Chapter 13

~Azalea

She wasn't sure which one was more unbelievable: her boss being thousands of years old or the fact that she had—and still did have—a crush on him. Azalea wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She didn't know if she wanted to leave, stay, cry, scream, or an odd combination of all four.

Azalea was, currently, inside her home. When Eider had come to drop off his apology letter, she was still there, so she managed to convince him to just apologize in person. The letter was sitting, unopened, on the little table she had made out of old wood.

Soon after that, the messenger-dragon came to tell them that Discordance wanted them. The two, having made amends for now, talked for a bit about what it could be about. That's why there were so late—but it didn't really matter. Not now.

Azalea paced around a little bit. What to believe, what to think, was completely lost to her. Should she tell someone? Should she keep it to herself? She still had no idea.

A gentle tapping from the doorway made Azalea pause. Eider stood there, perhaps a bit worried, but smiling faintly. Azalea realized he was trying to cheer her up; it was in vain, but she appreciated the effort.

"Come in." Azalea said quietly.

"You…wanna talk about it?" Eider asked, coming inside and making himself comfortable.

"It depends what you're talking about." Azalea replied; she knew what he was talking about, though. She sat down beside him.

"Azalea, come on. You know what I mean and I know it." Eider said. "What're friends for? Now, please get it off your chest. It's been a few hours. I don't want you to get so caught up that you can't sleep."

"But you're the same way," Azalea pointed out.

"I have the ability to sleep even when dragons are screaming in my ear." Eider replied. "That's different. I'm mostly confident that you can't fall asleep whenever you darn well please."

"No, I can't." Azalea said. "So I guess I have to talk about it?"

"It'll at least be better than keeping it to yourself." Eider agreed.

Azalea took a deep breath, looked away, then looked back at Eider again. "I just…I cant't believe out boss is Darkstalker. Everything suddenly makes sense; why he said what he said, why he did what he did…everything. I don't know what I want to think. I—I don't know what I want to believe. It's like my past few years all over again…I don't want to believe him, but I know it's the truth." She had started to cry, softly, about halfway through. Eider pulled a wing around her for reassurance.

"I'm going to admit, I've never gotten very far in any relationships." Eider began. "Nor have I ever been betrayed or heartbroken. I know you liked Discordance, but Darkstalker is…dangerous. Discordance might've been able to be trusted; Darkstalker has tried to kill lots of dragons."

"But what can we do if they're the same dragon?" Azalea asked. "We can't hide from one and seek the other if they're both…him. Eventually everyone else is going to find out, then what? Discordance might've been innocent, but Darkstalker's as deadly as ever. They'll kill him."

"So you think he should be spared, should anyone else find out?" Eider said. "So he could harm more dragons?"

"No…no. Not like that." Azalea replied. "There might be a good dragon inside there, hidden. He was able to be Discordance for this long. No one deserves to die prematurely—even if that dragon is well beyond premature."

"You're right, but… I don't know." Eider said. "Normally I would advise to talk to the dragon you're talking about, but…that's not really an option, is it?"

"It could be." Azalea said. "But it's probably not the best one."

After she spoke, they sat in silence for a little bit. Eventually, Eider stood up and headed towards the door.

"I'm going to head home and get some rest." He said. "You should too."

"Do you wanna stay here for the night? I have a few extra pillows." Azalea offered.

"No, I'm fine. I sleep better at my own home than I do in someone else's." Eider replied. He paused before adding, "Plus, I snore a bit."

This successfully earned a small giggle out of Azalea. She waved goodbye as he left, and she collected some pillows and a blanket and slept.


	14. Chapter 14

(This chapter changes views about about halfway through, because I feel like it would be better told in Darkstalker's view past the first half.)

~Eider

It was a little hard to believe, so it made sense that Azalea would have trouble with the truth—in all honesty, he did too. Eider worked—or slept, depending on his mood—to keep his mind off it. He was currently fixing up the planters for the forget-me-nots Azalea had given him; they weren't going to grow any sitting in a small planter anyway. He tried to focus on making it resemble a basket, right down to it's material. He was better with tearing down or putting up walls; it looked more like the bottom of a spiky fruit with rough edges.

Eider didn't want to think about Discordance—or Darkstalker, whatever his name was. He did everything in his power to forget it. He was considering leaving as an option; going back home to the Scorpion Den and his sister. But what if Discordance decided to go after him? What if he changed his mind? It seemed risky in almost every way; staying or leaving or disappearing, it all seemed to end the same way.

He knew he couldn't be the only dragon who felt this. Even if the other dragon was Azalea. Eider had began to consider Discordance as a friend—a distant, occasionally-rude, albeit misunderstood friend. It was a bit painful. It didn't help any that he kept on trying to make Discordance and Darkstalker two different dragons. Maybe he should return home? To at least tell Murre what's going on. She'd want to know. But he promised not to tell. Eider unintentionally broke off a piece of the planter he was making, a bit annoyed at everything.

"Eider?"

Eider looked to his side, and smiled faintly at Azalea. He nodded to let her know she had his attention.

"I…I think I'm going to try to talk to him." Azalea said. "Talk to…Discordance."

"You can't," Eider replied before he could figure out why.

Azalea landed beside him, having noticed his mistake, and continued: "He's still Discordance. He's played that role too well to have been faking."

"He might hurt you." Eider pointed out. "He might do something bad to you."

"He won't," Azalea said. She gave a weak smile that seemed to betray her. "I'm a grown dragoness; I can take care of myself."

"I can recall several things you've told me that proves otherwise." Eider said. He could see the look on her face, though; she was determined to do this. He sighed. "At least let me come with you. I'm useless in a fight, but I can fly quicker than most."

Azalea looked more than a bit relieved. "Alright. Just…stay farther away? I want to try to talk to him…alone."

Eider opened his mouth to protest but Azalea lifted a talon to signal him to stop. "It's nice to know that you care," Azalea said lightly, "But this is my choice. If I get hurt by it, it's my fault. You're a good friend, Eider. One of the best dragons I know. Don't let whatever happens bring you down."

"Please stop sounding like your about to die," Eider replied. "It makes me feel worse."

"Sorry," Azalea muttered. "Shall we go?"

Eider nodded and they both took off, towards the direction of Discordance's home.

…

~Darkstalker/Discordance

He noticed them coming before they noticed him. He was still in his house, staring at the broken walls that marked several guilt-and-temper tantrums just by not standing. It didn't feel like a relief to have Azalea and Eider knowing his secret. It felt like a burden. It hurt, and every time it did he thought of all the lives he ruined; Clearsight, his unborn and never-to-be born dragonets, Fathom, even Indigo and the entire NightWing tribe. If he had told them everything, how much would've changed? He wanted his animus magic back only to answer that one question.

Azalea and Eider landed side-by-side, but Eider quickly fell back, leaving Azalea in the lead. She looked oddly confident, a thought that oddly made Darkstalker remember his small crush on her.

"Discordance," Azalea began, waking in closer. "I wanted to talk."

"I'll accept any questions," Darkstalker replied. He gestured to the only area that wasn't covered on dust and wall debris, and Azalea understood and sat down. Darkstalker joined her, but was a fair distance away and across from her. In the corner of his eye, Darkstalker noticed Eider sitting down as well, within earshot and close enough to the door to yell for help if necessary.

"A friend of mine, back in the rainforest, said you enchanted a dragon to 'replace' Clearsight. Your…love." Azalea said, her voice cracking at the last word, probably for several reasons. "Were they true?"

Darkstalker thought for a moment about how to reply. "Do you know how, when you lose someone—when they die or they walk away from you—the first thing you want to do is get them back?" To his surprise, both Azalea and Eider nodded, despite the latter only being the bodyguard of sorts. "That's what I did—or, try to do, anyway. But it wasn't the same; she wasn't the same. She would agree with me blindly, not worrying at all…the best things about people are the things you never miss until you don't have them. Clearsight betrayed me, but I still love her. She'll never be able to hear my apology." His mind sank into darkness for a few moments before Azalea moved closer to him and tried her best to reassure him.

"When I saw my old love…doing what he did…I didn't want it to be true." She said quietly. "When it was, I was so mad. I wanted to just…murder him, then and there. Then he actually died and…I realized I was confessing all my fears to his grave, yelling at a dragon who will never hear me." She reluctantly pulled him into a hug with her wing. "I know we weren't fated to be together but…in the end, I still love him."

Eider had now walked closer, sitting close enough not to be considered far away. The three just sat there for a while, lost in their own thoughts and lives and memories.


	15. Chapter 15

(It's a bit shorter than a normal chapter, but it's more-or-less just an epilogue and recap of sorts.)

~Darkstalker/Discordance

A few months passed. To recap, Darkstalker was pleased to hear that Azalea and Eider held no hard feelings towards him. They all agreed to forgive and forget to the best of their abilities, and they started hanging out as friends. Darkstalker was able to see the differences and similarities between them and Clearsight and Fathom. He grew more aware of his crush, and Azalea felt the same; they never did much about it, both of them still scarred from their past loves, but it was something Darkstalker looked forward to.

Most of the construction of the New NightWing Kingdom project was completed, with current-day Pyrrhia sites and houses while still keeping the timeless feeling of days long gone in the castle, school, and library.

Darkstalker didn't have to tell anyone of his past. He didn't want to, in all honesty; he still feared what would happen, but he was sure that unless someone told them, no one would know (it was a hard-to-believe story anyway). Azalea and Eider still called him Discordance, even in private, but he didn't mind since that had been his name for the past ten—almost eleven—years.

Darkstalker now sat with Eider and Azalea on either side of him. It was perfect. The other workers had finished for the day, so there were a few other dragons here and there. They were sitting on the beach. Mixed memories—of old, new, and forgotten times—occasionally drifted to the surface, of Clearsight and Fathom, Azalea and Eider, or of his own childhood, playing with Whiteout as Foeslayer supervised and Arctic scrutinized from afar.

"What do you wanna do tonight, guys?" Eider asked. "We could leave for the night, or stay."

"There's going to be a celebration for the completion of all the main projects and the 'reopening' of the kingdom tomorrow," Darkstalker replied. "I thought we could plan for that."

"How come all we ever talk about is work?" Azalea said, looking over at them. "I'm playful by nature; can't we just have a simple picnic or night out that doesn't involve anything work-related?"

"We live where we work," Eider pointed out. "With that logic, we wouldn't even be able to compliment the bushes or trees because we helped plant those."

Azalea made a show of thinking for a moment. "True," she said. She looked back at them again. "But you know what I mean!"

"Alright, alright," Eider replied. He stood up and stretched. "You wanna play a game? Catch me!" He tossed himself up into the air and Azalea quickly followed, giggling wildly. Darkstalker envied them for a moment; he didn't believe it would ever be able to act like a dragonet when he's much older than he seems. He has the memories of two childhoods—both of them his, of his life with his sister and mother and love and friend, and another of him alone with no siblings or parents or anyone at all.

It was hard to resist, however, when Azalea twirled mid-air and said, "Come on Discordance, I know you can fly too! Just because you're the oldest doing mean you have to supervise."

"What if I'm supervising because it's my job?" Darkstalker asked, genuinely curious but still holding a playfully mocking tone.

"Then your job sucks." Eider replied simply, hovering besides Azalea. She took advantage of this and air-tackled him, making him fall a little bit before he regained his senses. He growled playfully and pursued her and she flew away, giggling like a madwoman.

Darkstalker watched his friends, smiling to himself. After a few moments, he joined them up in the air, and pursued Azalea alongside Eider. He felt stupid, childish, alive…and loved.

It was perfect. Finally a happy ending for all three of them.

(Aaaaaand that's the end! Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, please PM me instead of reviewing. Again, thank you for reading, and I hope you'll continue reading my other WoF stories if they interest you.)


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